Daniel Brühl is confident that he will return as Zemo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After starting as one of the most impactful villains in the MCU, breaking up the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, Zemo became a fan-favorite. The character had a frenemy dynamic with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that showed a new side of him. At the moment, Zemo is not confirmed for any project on the MCU’s slate; however, a return seems like only a matter of time.
Speaking to Screen Rant during an interview for his upcoming film Becoming Karl Lagerfeld,Daniel Brühl commented on his chances of making an MCU return as Zemo. The actor remembers how Zemo is still alive in the MCU, so he could return at any time. Brühl is confident that he will return as Zemo, even though it might not be in the most logical film for him, as the character has yet to be confirmed for one of Marvel’s 2025 movies — Thunderbolts*. Check out the full quote below:
It’s fine for me, I can wait. [Laughs] I’m a very patient man. No, I’m not, but it’s funny, because in the meantime, I just wrapped on a show that’s called The Franchise, where it’s actually a satire about the superhero universe, so it was fun to switch sides, so to say. But knowing Marvel, they have a lot of sense of humor, so they will probably find it as funny as I did. And who knows, I mean, I’m still not dead, I’m very confident that I’ll be back.
How Zemo Could Return To The MCU
The Character Could Appear In A Few Projects
Zemo not showing up in Thunderbolts* is surprising. Marvel has decided to include less popular characters like Ghost and Taskmaster rather than bring back Brühl’s villain for the morally gray team. That is even more confusing given how closely linked to the Thunderbolts Zemo is in the comics, serving as the team’s leader. Because of that, there is a chance that Zemo could make a cameo in the film, appearing at the end of Thunderbolts* or in a post-credits scene to set up a sequel and a new version of the team.
While Zemo could have a surprise role in Thunderbolts*, the same could also happen in Captain America: Brave New World. In Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Zemo worked alongside Thunderbolts*‘s Bucky Barnes and the MCU’s new Captain America, Sam Wilson. With multiple villains like the Leader, Diamondback, and Giancarlo Esposito’s mystery character, Sam Wilson might need some reinforcements. Zemo could make a cameo to help him out with a specific situation, making a Captain America movie return after his MCU debut in Civil War.
The last time Zemo was seen, the character was imprisoned in the Raft. Since he was taken to prison by the Dora Milaje, a future escape from the Raft could tie into the likely Black Panther 3. Zemo could be hunted down by Shuri, the MCU’s new Black Panther, after he escapes the Raft due to the villain having killed Wakanda’s King T’Chaka. With Zemo’s popularity and Daniel Brühl‘s confidence in an MCU return, the character should have more story left to tell.
